Landscaping has long been an important activity to many homeowners, commercial establishments and office complexes. A well maintained lawn or tree area enhances the appearance of any structure. Much effort normally must be expended in initially landscaping an area and then maintaining it throughout the growing season.
An important aspect to many landscaping plans is the use of natural mulch around trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Shredded bark and peat moss are examples of very common natural mulches. The mulch provides an aesthetic effect. It also provides a more functional benefit. The mulch which covers the soil inhibits the growth of grass or weeds by blocking out sunlight. It also slows the evaporation of water from the soil. In cold temperature zones, the mulch serves as an insulator to keep roots warmer and less likely to be killed or damaged by frigid temperatures. Most importantly, a layer of mulch properly placed will protect the trees and other plants from accidental contact and resultant damage by lawncare equipment such as lawnmowers and mechanical string trimmers.
Natural mulches are reasonably priced and given their well known attributes as above discussed are widely used. One disadvantage is that they must be continually replenished. Being a natural material, they tend to deteriorate over time. This causes them to lose their pleasing appearance and functional qualities. Several manufactured articles and devices have been suggested as natural mulch substitutes. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 10 3,305,969, 4,268,992, 4,502,244, 4,590,705, 4,648,203, 4,934,093, 4,986,025, 5,058,317, 5,085,001 and 5,231,793 all disclose manufactured articles for placement around a tree. The articles are made of plastic. All tend to lay flat on the ground and would appear to retard the growth of unwanted vegetation and retard the evaporation of water from the soil around the tree. However, none of the known articles have all the attributes of a tree skirt needed to make it a commercial success. Most importantly, the known articles do not have a natural appearance. That is, they all have an artificial look which is not in keeping with a proper landscape plan.
There has now been developed a mound-like tree skirt which has all the desired attributes demanded by the homeowner and commercial landscaper. The mound-like tree skirt of the invention has a pleasing natural look which approximates that of mounded mulch commonly placed around trees. It is economical to produce and easy to use. It is functional in that it inhibits the growth of unwanted vegetation around the tree""s trunk and retards the evaporation of water from the soil directly under it. It is also durable and retains its pleasing natural appearance for long periods of time.
A mound-like tree skirt is configured for placement around a tree trunk. The tree skirt has an open-bottom generally domeshaped body with an apex and a ground-contacting peripheral edge. It has an approximately centered opening in the apex of the dome to accommodate the tree trunk. It also has a radial slit extending from the approximately centered opening to the peripheral edge which is used to spread apart the dome-shaped body in the slit area to fit around the tree during an initial placement process. The tree skirt further has a substantially horizontal anchor lip extending circumferentially from the peripheral edge. The anchor lip has at least one hole to receive a corresponding number of anchor stakes. The anchor lip is intended to lie substantially flat on the ground and, together with the anchor stakes, holds the tree skirt in place.
Optional, though highly preferred, features of the mound-like tree skirt include a closure means operably associated with the radial slit to hold edges of the slit together and a netting in the approximately centered opening to retard unwanted vegetation growth at the tree trunk""s base. The tree skirt of the invention provides a long-lasting economical and decorative means to protect a tree trunk from accidental contact with lawn care equipment.